


Ice Breaker

by PhoenixWillRise



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Levi is terrified, M/M, Nico takes Levi ice skating as a surprise, Winter, little backstory on Levi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 09:33:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18427832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixWillRise/pseuds/PhoenixWillRise
Summary: Nico takes Levi ice skating for their date. He doesn't expect Levi to freak out about skating on a frozen lake.





	Ice Breaker

**Author's Note:**

> Was watching Rise of The Guardians and thought of this! Thanks for reading!

 

Levi pulled on his olive green beanie over his head before opening the car door. He shivered at the cold air. Winter was slowly coming to an end and Nico was apparently a huge fan of the season.

Nico popped up from around the side of the car, his arm outstretched to circle itself around his boyfriend’s shoulders.

“What is this big surprise Nico? I swear you were practically bouncing on the drive up here.”

Levi was more of a summer person. And Nico knew this well enough by now.

“Come on Levi I think you’re really going to like this! Back home the closest ice rinks were like 3 cities away and when you got there they would be packed! This one is as real as it can get.”

Levi stopped walking his heart lurching painfully in his chest,“Wait! We’re going to an ice rink? Oh Nico I don’t know about this-”

Nico smiled at him,“I promise I’ll help you! Don’t be scared. Anyway its more of a frozen lake but it looks like a freaking wonderland. It's pure fun.”

From their view from the slowly filling parking lot he could see trees and a crowd of people all different ages getting their skates on and sliding onto the frozen lake. Laughing and carefree.

It looked like a normal, fun winter activity that anyone would enjoy. Nico was giddy and full of energy as he pulled on Levi’s hand.

_ “It’s a surprise. I promise you’ll love it.” He’d said. _

All Levi could think of was the bone freezing water instantly swallowing him, his lungs burning for oxygen, his arms and legs slowly losing their feeling as they thrashed about trying to move closer to jagged edges of the broken ice.

Levi gasped, as if all the air in his lungs had vanished.  Leaving him struggling to breathe.

“I- I can’t ice skate! I don’t want to drown-”

Nico looked concerned at his worrying boyfriend,“You won’t fall! I’ll keep my hands on your waist and any time you feel like you’re about to lose your balance I’ll be right there-

Levi started,“You’re not hearing me-”

“I swear baby I am! What size are you for the skates-

Levi couldn’t even think about setting a toe on ice.

He wretched his arm away from Nico’s grasp, leaving the taller man looking at him in surprise.

“Is something wrong Levi?”

“You’re not listening to me! I need you to listen to me right now. I- I’m terrified of ice skating. I can’t imagine even taking a step-”

“Look everyone is nervous when they try new things. Just like I was nervous going to that comic con with you. But I did it and made some interesting friends. So just try baby-”

“NO ONE DROWNS AT COMIC CON NICO! No one there falls into icy lakes during the winter and almost dies.”

******* FLASHBACK ******* 

Levi was always spoken about well more like bragged by his mother on how responsible and wonderful he was with babies and kids. He was the designated babysitter for those who knew them well. 

He was also not the most socially active 14 year old  so they could always find him free and available to take care of their younger children for a short while.

There was a little six-year old girl named Marcie who followed him everywhere. She was his little shadow and he didn’t mind. His mom and her mom were best friends and so that meant he had to entertain her while the grownups talked and talked. He was okay with it, he’d always wanted a sibling.

But one day his friends had invited him to go to their house to try out some new video game they had bought the day before. LIttle Marcie had spotted them walking through the park.

There was little lake that had frozen over and usually had some warning tape about it being thin ice and not safe to walk upon. The snow storm that had taken over the past couple of days must have blown them away. Leaving anyone who was new to the area vulnerable and unsafe.

Little Marcie in her blue parka and teal snow boots had spotted his bright yellow parka and decided to run off from her grandma to play with Levi. She was only six she didn’t know about the dangers of the frozen lake.

But Levi did. His mother had constantly reminded him every fall and winter to stay away from the lake. And he listened. He’d heard enough probably not age appropriate stories of children and adults falling into frozen lakes and dying only for their corpses to be discovered when summer came.

He had heard her yell, “Levi wait for me!”

Levi looked away from the older boys playing street hockey nearby when heard his name.

He’d turned with a fond smile on his face at the high pitched voice but his stomach suddenly dropped at the sight of little Marci taking her first couple of steps on the frozen lake. Thinking of it as  shortcut to get to her friend. Her arms outstretched like a little blue sparrow about to take flight, her cheeks pink from the cold and a big smile on her face.

Then an echoing crack sounded.

Levi saw the cracks on the ice slowing begin to spread his gaze followed the crack until it stopped under Marcie’s tiny boots. He saw her face go bone-white and big eyes open wide,shimmering with tears of fear.

He dropped his book back and science project not caring if it would get destroyed.

“Marcie!”

He didn't know what took over that put him into action. He grabbed an abandoned hockey stick from the boys who had stopped their game to see what had caused the cracking sound.

His friends Charlie and Joseph called his name saying that they were going to get their parents to help..

Levi continued to huff and puff as he ran through the snow until he was as close as he possibly could be to the little girl standing still as she could on the ice.

His shoulders slumped at the distance between him and Marcie. She was too far from the edge. He would have to take a couple of steps onto the ice just to b able to reach her with the hockey stick.

She sniffled, her nose red and runny,“Levi! Levi help me. I’m scared.”

His voice shook as he tried to stay in control,“It-it's going to be okay Marcie. ”

“No it's not! I’m going to fall in! Mommy’s going to be mad!”

He tried to keep his own fear from showing on his face as he carefully took off his parka to get better motion of his arms without the stiff material stopping him. He smiled, “No it's okay. I’ll tell her it was an accident. She won’t be mad. Promise.”

She gave him a watery smile. Levi never lied.

He tried not to put too much weight on each step, his body filling with dread as the ice continued to crack.

He continued to talk hoping to distract her from panicking.

“Then she’ll give us some hot chocolate and  those yummy cookies she makes. What’s the secret recipe again?”

She giggled.

From the corner of his eyes he could see just how hard he would have to pull or push Marcie to the edge of the lake. To safety.

“I can’t tell you silly! Then it won’t be a secret!”

Levi smiled faintly,“Oh I thought she put broccoli in them?’

“Eww noo!”

He was closer.

“Or was it prunes?”

This was it. He wasn’t sure how long they had before they fell into the icy embrace of the dark lake beneath their feet.

“ Listen Marcie I’m going to use this hockey stick to pull you to the edge. When you get there get as far from the lake as possible. Okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

The ice was breaking and he knew he had one shot.

He saw her mitten hands grab hold of the end of the hockey stick, the second he did he pulled with all his might and flung the little girl to the edge. He heard her give an  “oof” as she fell into a pile of snow. Her smile making him sigh in relief. And forget that now he was the one in danger.

The last thing he heard as his foot broke through the ice was the sound of sirens and Marcie’s screaming:

“LEVI!”

**********End of Flashback**********

“I remember my body going into shock, my arms and legs felt like bowling balls were attached to them. I was semi-conscious when they pulled me out. They thought it as a miracle that I had lived. Called me a hero for saving Marcie but I never felt like one.”

Levi was twisting the threads on his mittens as he continued to speak,” I was too scared to go back to that park or lake until I got a little older. When I see them in the winter I go back to that day. I hear Marcie screaming. I feel like I can’t breathe, like ice picks are stabbing my legs and arms, I can’t go ice skating on that-that lake. I know it's weird considering it wasn't even a skating rink. But I can’t so I’m sorry-”

Suddenly he was being pulled into the warm embrace, Nico wound his arms around Levi’s shaking body. One hand rested itself gently onto Levi’s beanie covered head. Levi sighed heavily pressing his face into his chest, inhaling his cologne and feeling warm for the first time since he got out of Nico’s car.

“I’m sorry for bringing you here. I didn’t know about you falling into the ice. I didn’t know how terrified you were. But i have to say that you  _ were _ a hero that day and continue to be. You’re not weak or weird for being scared. You're incredibly courageous and compassionate. I wish I hadn’t brought those painful memories up for you-”

Levi leaned back, his hands coming up to cup the back of Nico’s head his fingers immediately playing with his hair, “No no no you were being sweet and adorable and just wanted to take me on a fun date. But maybe we can do something else. Something a little further away from here.”

Nico brushed a soft kiss onto Levi’s pink lips.

“I love hot chocolate and watching cheesy Christmas movies too. Preferably with you in my clothes and me holding you under a mountain of blankets.”

Levi stood on his tip toe, kissing Nico under his jaw and back to his lips.

“A man after my own heart. How did I get so lucky?”

Nico tucked Levi under his arm, wanting to keep him warm and to block any sight of the frozen lake behind them as they headed back to his car.

“I think the lucky one is me. Just when I think I know everything about you I learn something else that makes me fall more in love with you.”

Levi was still blushing even when Nico turned on the heater.

**Author's Note:**

> I love kudos and comments...just saying. :)


End file.
